Polymeric roof sheeting is used as single ply roofing membrane for covering industrial and commercial flat roofs. Such membranes are generally applied to the roof surface in vulcanized or cured state.
Because of outstanding weathering resistance and flexibility, cured EPDM based roof sheeting has rapidly gained acceptance. This material normally is prepared by vulcanizing the composition in the presence of sulfur or sulfur containing compounds such as mercaptans. Our earlier U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,020 also teaches the use of radiation crosslinking promoters in an EPDM sheeting composition which can be cured by ionizing radiation.
Notwithstanding the usefulness of radiation curing and sulfur curing, a disadvantage of utilizing these elastomers is the lack of adhesion of EPDM, especially cured EPDM, to itself. Besides being highly labor intensive, this is a serious problem also because, in applying EPDM sheets to a roof, it is usually necessary to splice the cured EPDM sheets together. This splice or seam area is subjected to both short term and long term stresses such as those caused by roof movement, heavy winds, freeze-thaw cycling and thermal cycling. Such stresses may manifest themselves in shear forces or peel forces, i.e., the seam peels back under severe stress conditions or may cause a partially open seam (often referred to as a fish-mouth condition) under less severe conditions.
In view of the foregoing problem, it has been necessary to utilize an adhesive to bond the cured EPDM sheets together. As will be evident from the above discussion, an adhesive for bonding cured EPDM elastomer roofing sheets together must meet a number of requirements which are extremely difficult to satisfy. Thus, the adhesive must provide sufficient seam peel and shear strength to permit the splice formed by bonding the cured EPDM roofing sheets together to resist both the short term and long term stresses such as those discussed hereinabove. Moreover, the adhesive must be resistant to oxidation, hydrolysis and chemical attack from pooled water. Additionally, the adhesive must provide the important property often referred to in the adhesive art as "Quick Stick". The term "Quick Stick" refers to that characteristic of the two sheets of material, which have been coated with an adhesive composition, to develop virtually immediate adhesive strength when placed in contact with each other.
Quick Stick is an extremely important property in an adhesive which is utilized to splice cured EPDM elastomer roofing sheets together. Thus, adhesive compositions presently known, generally require anywhere from about two (2) to about seven (7) days at room temperature (i.e. 22.degree. C.) to attain maximum adhesive seam strength. At higher ambient temperature, this time period may be somewhat less but at a minimum it will generally be at least 24 hours. The conventional procedure for splicing the EPDM roofing sheets together is to make the splice within a relatively short period of time after the adhesive coating has been applied to each sheet, generally within 30 minutes but often less. Accordingly, the adhesive composition must provide sufficient immediate adhesive strength or Quick Stick to permit the splice to withstand stresses from winds, movement, handling by installers, etc. until the adhesive achieves its maximum strength which as indicated will generally take from about two (2) to seven (7) days.
Commercial contact adhesives which are conventionally employed for bonding cured EPDM elastomer roofing sheets together generally consist of solutions of neoprene or neoprene-type or butyl or butyl-type polymers in aromatic or aromatic-aliphatic solvents containing 2-butanone often along with tackifying resins. However, such adhesives have not proven to be very satisfactory due to their lower than desirable seam peel adhesion strengths. Thus, the neoprene or butyl-type adhesives often provide peel adhesion values at 22.degree. C. of only 1 to 2 pounds per linear inch. Additionally, the use of organic solvents in such systems would likely run afoul of environmental regulations, and which control the release of volatile organics.
Pressure sensitive and contact adhesive compositions containing neutralized, partially neutralized or unneutralized sulfonate elastomers, tackifying resins and organic solvents or organic solvent mixtures are known in the prior art as shown by U.S. Pat. No. 3,801,531 and 3,867,247.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,801,531 relates to pressure sensitive adhesive compositions which contain thiouronium derivatives of unsaturated elastomers or neutralized, partially neutralized or unneutralized sulfonated elastomers including sulfonated EPDM, tackifying resins including phenol formaldehyde or alkylphenol formaldehyde resins and organic solvents or organic solvent mixtures including a preferred 90:10 mixture of toluene and isopropyl alcohol. However, the patent does not disclose or suggest the use of alkylphenols or ethoxylated alkylphenols in such compositions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,867,247 relates to adhesive contact cements which contain neutralized, partially neutralized or unneutralized sulfonated butyl elastomers, tackifying resins including phenol formaldehyde or alkylphenol formaldehyde resins and organic solvents or organic solvent mixtures including a preferred 90:10 mixture of toluene and isopropyl alcohol. However, the patent does not disclose or suggest the use of alkylphenols or ethoxylated alkylphenols in such compositions.
The adhesive compositions described in the aforementioned patents suffer from a significant disadvantage which materially limits their usefulness as a contact adhesive for bonding cured EPDM elastomer roofing sheets together and that is their deficiency in Quick Stick properties. Also the use of organic solvents in such systems would likely run afoul of environmental regulations, which control the release of volatile organics.
One adhesive system for EPDM elastomers that provides good Quick Stick is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,012, owned by the Assignee of record herein. Such adhesives comprise a neutralized sulfonated EPDM elastomeric terpolymer; an organic hydrocarbon solvent; a para-alkylated phenol formaldehyde tackifying resin and an alkylphenol or ethoxylated alkylphenol. While the use of such adhesive compositions is an effective means of joining and sealing the edges of elastomeric roofing material, if the use of adhesives could be eliminated, the additional labor material costs and related hardware necessary to apply the adhesive would effect a significant cost savings. Moreover, elimination of the need to cure the material prior to its application to a roof would also be advantageous.
Co-pending application U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/594,461 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,436 discloses a sheeting material composition which eliminates the need for adhesives, solvents and the need for curing prior to application to the roof. While these advantages effect cost savings and are environmentally prudent, a need exists for providing a roof covering system which bonds quicker and results in a stronger bond. The high rate of bonding would also ensure that the roofing is water tight, an important requirement for most applications. A seam of variable width and hence strength is also desirable.